


Nights of Torture

by fishballoon



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-07 09:41:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishballoon/pseuds/fishballoon
Summary: Brynjolf doesn't return from a simple job. Agnete becomes concerned and takes matters into her own hands.





	1. Chapter 1

https://brynjolfsbitch.tumblr.com/

Unfortunately, chapter one is lost. I have it on my Tumblr. All chapters after chapter one will be easily accessed on here as well as my Tumblr. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercer and Vex discover Agnete disobeys his orders and went to go find Brynjolf on her own.

/B/R/Y/N/J/O/L/F/

Mercer was still sitting at the table that he and Agnete had just argued at. His interlocked hands were pressed against his face as he thought about the incident that had just gone down. Vex sauntered over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. His gaze stayed locked forward, for he was deep in thought. 

“I should go,” he muttered.

“Where?” Vex asked.

“She’s been gone for almost twenty minutes,” he said standing up from the chair and bolting off into the Cistern. “I’m such an idiot,” he said quietly, but sternly to himself. Vex was close behind in hot pursuit with genuine concern and confusion spread across her face. Mercer climbed the ladder as swiftly as his old bones would allow, and popped out of the hatch to an empty graveyard. 

“Agnete! Agnete!” He called out checking behind the building. Vex finally caught up to Mercer, and while she was puzzled, she did not ask questions - she knew better than to do that. 

“I’ll look in the marketplace,” she called out as she ran in that direction. He gave a quick nod to her then turned back to the area he was in.

“Agne-” his voice caught as he found an envelope stabbed into the rock by a dagger. “Damn,” he whispered to himself, ripping it from its grasp.

 

_No one tells me when and when to not worry._

_sorry. I’m taking charge this time._

_~A_

“Damn it!” He yelled instead of calling Vex’s voice. Mercer spun around to see Vex, panting. He handed her the torn note as she took a seat on the warm stone headstone nearby. “She’s off to Heartwood Mill then, I assume.”

“Well what,” she said through pants of breath, “are you going to do? You and I both know she’s good enough to find and get Brynjolf back on her own.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, skeever brain,” he snapped as he whipped his head to look at the out of breath woman. “She defied my orders. Brynjolf could be in real danger and now so could she!” He leaned down and put his hands on Vex’s thighs as he leaned into her face. “You got that?” His nose and lips were contorted in perfect harmony to create haste and agitation visibily, as if the tone in his voice wasn’t enough.

Vex stood up and swung her hand across his stubble - covered face. “Absolutely not, Merc! You were just gonna let your second in command be in trouble?’ she raised her hand in the direction of the city gate. “We’re a family, Gods dammit, start acting like you give a shit!”

Mercer quickly grabbed the front of Vex’s Guild Armor and shoved her back into the wall just before reaching the secret coffin to the Cistern. She let out a grunt and tried to fight her way out of his hold. “Oh, I give a shit. Don’t you dare assume my thoughts for me, understand?” he yelled. Vex rolled her eyes and nodded and Mercer let go of his grip and turned his back to her. “I’ve sent out several moles to alert me of his location, but none have returned. I didn’t want to worry anyone - Agnete most of all - so I was just planning on taking this.” He spun around and saw Vex on the ground looking up at him with desire for him to continue. “Besides, its been a while since I’ve taken a good job,” he said outstretching his hand to help Vex up. 

“Well, Agnete is already on her way there, yes?”

“Presumably,” Mercer sighed as glanced down at the note once more. “I know she’s got what it takes. But I knew Brynjolf did too.”

“What are you saying?” Vex projected, and slightly annoyed.

“I’m saying I don’t know how much longer I can play my cards at this. I’ll give her two days. Then I’m going.” Vex walked up to him and began to say something, only to have Mercer cut her off. “It has to be just me, Vex.”

‘If they’re both hurt, there’s no way you’d be able to bring them both back.” Mercer looked back at her with an eyebrow raised.

“I’m Guild master for a reason, Vex. I can handle that kind of stuff, don’t you worry.” He looked out over his shoulder and sighed. Vex placed a hand on his shoulder once more and looked him in the eyes.

“Don’t get worked up. Put what little faith you have in Agnete.”

“That faith is waning with every second.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agnete arrives at Heartwood Mill to search for Brynjolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumblr: https://brynjolfsbitch.tumblr.com/

"So, what kind of trouble is your friend in?" the carriage driver asked over his shoulder. 

"Huh? Oh! Well, see, we work at a farm up north and we're down makin' a delivery. We got split on the way down - I heard he was at the mill and I think he could be in trouble. And uh, thank you, by the way."

"Oh yeah." He turned his shoulder and pointed across the lake at a distant house. "That over there is Goldenglow Estate, the makers of the honey for the famous Black - Briar mead."

 _I know, dipshit, I've done work in there before._ "Oh?"

"Yeah, ever tried some? It's the finest mead you'll ever try."

 _Oh, buddy, it's basically the only thing we drink down in the Guild right now._ "No, I'll make sure to try some when I come back through town." The driver kept up some idle chit-chat to pass the time, but Agnete trailed off and thought about what could possibly happen once she got there. She felt an uneasy feeling wash over her the closer and closer the horse trotted to the mill. Suddenly, the horse stopped. 

"Well, this is as far as I can take you. If you think he's in trouble..." the driver muttered. Agnete's eyes were starstruck.

"Uh, yeah, no, thank you for taking me this far," she said as she hopped out. "Here's your pay," she said tossing the coin purse up. She began walking forward, heart pounding, when the driver called out after her. 

"Hey! This isn't what we agreed upon!" Agnete turned back to see him holding up the coin purse in disgust. 

"Neither is this!" she slightly bent her midsection and threw her arms out to the side. _Touché, motherfucker._ She turned around and continued walking forward, as the smile upon her lips quickly shifted when she began to bite them until they bled. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, hoping it would calm her down some. _I've been here before. It's a single mother and a very small house. I can't imagine anything awful happening._

 

She rounded the corner to the mill crouched, stepping slowly and silently, but alert nonetheless. She had a glass dagger and a dwarven dagger - a trick Brynjolf taught her months ago - drawn in case she saw anyone with malicious intent. Silence. The wind whispered and brushed Agnete in the face as she focused on her surroundings. Lapping water and peaceful animal sounds were all she could hear. The mill was cold - barren, even. A sure sign of inconsistency with the past. She rolled over to the door and quickly picked the lock. Her eyebrows furrowed in as she heard the satisfying click - _too easy_. She just shook her head and opened the door. There was a small room with a table and chairs in the corner and some shelves stocked with food on the opposing wall. No people. Agnete gingerly turned the corner to the bedroom - two beds, a chest, and a fireplace. That's it. She inhaled deeply, and fell off her haunches and leaned on the chest with her back, rolling her head back and propping her elbows on the top of the chest. _No one is here. I'm not in danger. But where the fuck is Bryn? Could he be in danger?_ She spun around and jabbed one of her daggers into the chest's slit and popped it open. For once in her life, she didn't desire riches. She desired anything to lead her to Brynjolf. Unfortunatley, no avail in the chest. She stood up and began tossing the sheets around on the nearby beds and checking under every mattress and bedframe. She panted as she sat red - faced upon a mess of her own doing. Her chest tightened as her nose crinkled. She let out a frustrated groan and hopped off the bed and kicked it for one final good measure.

As she walked back into the other room, there was a note on the table. Her heart must have skipped a beat, and she could never remember the few seconds that occurred from seeing the letter to actually holding it and reading it. 

_Just got news about a new lumber delivery coming in from the Northern Maiden up north. I'm heading up there, may be gone for a week or so... Just go into town and stay at the orphanage for the time being. I will be back. ~Mama_

"By the gods," she muttered. "This is utter horseshit." Everyone knows damn well the Northern Maiden rarely delivers lumber, nor would it make sense for the owner of this mill to go all the way out to Windhelm when she had several logs in her mill and lives right off the edge of a forest. This could have been an excuse to get her son to go to the orphanage, but he would have to take this letter. It just wouldn't make sense. Nothing was adding up. "I swear, Brynjolf," she said quietly, "If you actually went to Windhelm, I'm gonna hunt you do-" she stopped. She didn't know what she was hearing, but she knew what she was hearing was Brynjolf. Screaming. 

Her heart was going at unfathomable speeds as her breathing quickened. She was silent, trying to decipher if what she was hearing was really him, or just some loud animal outside. She closed her eyes as the sound of crinkling paper filled her ears from her shaking hands. She put the letter down and steadied herself at the table and tried to listen closer. It was soft - but not because he was being soft, but because he was far away. What she could hear was Brynjolf yelling as loud as his lungs could reach for him. _Where is he?_

She was uncertain if he was even in the house, but he was somewhere nearby. She ran across the room to the shelf full of food and tipped it over, causing a loud crash. She kicked the chairs and shoved the table around. "C'mon..." she repeatedly muttered to herself. She was unsure if her next move would even help, but she tried it. She screamed. She pretended she was fighting. Her plan worked, because she heard a door trying to open and people underneath it yelling to be let out. There was a trap door underneath the table! Swiftly, she pushed it out of the way and drew her weapons as two angry Altmer heads popped up. Agnete jumped on top of them, pushing all three of them back into where the elves came from. She didn't hesitate to restrain these two. She was able to locate their pressure points on their necks, and she took the butt of her daggers and slammed them into those spots for distraction.

"Who are you!" she screamed.

"Thalmor!" Someone screamed. It wasn't the two elves pinned on the ground, but it was someone locked in one of the many cages surrounding the three. Agnete looked down with a harsh glare before stabbing one dagger for each heart on the floor in front of her. 

"How many are there?" she asked the girl that screamed from the cage. 

"I don't know. They come and go frequently b-"

"How many are here right now?"

"I don't know!" she cried as she slammed the bars.

"Hush, do you want them to hear you?" she asked taking an intimidating stance from the other side of the bars. The caged woman shook her head and exhaled. "I'll be back," she said looking both ways. Agnete squinted her eyes in the unlit parts of the secret underground dungeon, but she didn't have time to be stealthy. She. Was. Livid. Her throat was sore from all the screaming to attract more Thalmor agents, which worked. She found three more, and didn't waste a second cutting their lifelines. Their hands were stained from the crimson of those trapped here, forcing their will on poor innocents. She never believed in brutality, but she would have considered tying each one of those son's of bitches up and letting them know what it was like. She wiped the blood off her face and began her search for Brynjolf. "Bryn! Bryn, are you in here?" she was running around the dungeon looking in every cage as best she could in the dark. "Gods, where are you, man?" she cried with a quiver. She held back gagging from the smell or blood and death. There was one cage in the wall off to the back left that she heard soft whimpers from. "Bryn?" she said softly as she rounded the corner to find his watery eyes looking up at her. "By the nine," she said covering her mouth for a moment. He wouldn't even speak, and it was best that he didn't. Though it was dark, she could see every little thing in perfect detail. She grabbed a pick and began breaking the lock on the cage door, all while trying to keep Brynjolf's attention. She busted through the door and immediately kicked the shackles off the wall he was tied to. His arms and

Though it was dark, she could see every little thing in perfect detail. She grabbed a pick and began breaking the lock on the cage door, all while trying to keep Brynjolf's attention. She busted through the door and immediately kicked the shackles off the wall he was tied to. His arms and upper body fell forward, letting out a groan as he did. 

"Bryn," she said grabbing his bare chest as it fell forward. She felt his body rising and falling quickly as his breaths hit her back. She also felt warm blood. "Oh my gods!" she cried. She pushed him off of her and held his back across her lap. She put her hand on his dirty, beaten face. Her eyes felt the warmness begin to form as a little tear ran down her cheek. "What did they do to you?" she cried out. 

He was beginning to desperately gasp for air.

"Brynjolf, no, no, no. No! Stay focused, look at me," she told him. She felt him grow weaker with every second. She stripped off her armor and her undershirt and held it on his wounds. There were so many she knew it would do no help."Bryn, stay with me, please!"

"Agenete," he whimpered, "It's... No use. Ag," he said bringing a hand to her face, "I love you."

She felt a flood of tears run down her face and fall to him. "I love you too!" she cried out in a shaky voice. "Don't you dare leave me, not now!" she was screaming. 

_Don't you dare leave me, not now_

He started coughing up more blood than had already been there before she arrived, and used what little breaths he had left to scream out in pain. She felt is body turn to dead weight in her arms as his head lost support and his arms fell to the ground.

There was nothing she could do. She just stared at the limp body in her lap. She clenched a fist and slammed it on her chest as she looked up to the roof of the dungeon. The sound that left her body was the exact moment she felt her soul left her body. The woman that was still trapped thought more Thalmor arrived and began torturing poor Agenete. Little did she know, she was already tortured enough. She lifted his body to her face just to embrace him. She knew she couldnt spend long there before more Thalmor arrived. She knew she needed to get back to the Guild. There was no way she would be able to bring his body back with her. She placed a kiss on his cold lips.

"I love you," she said through tears as she stood up and ran back to the cage with the woman. 

"Oh thank the divines," she said when she saw Agnete arrive. She said nothing, she just unlocked the gate door. "Have you seen my son in here?"

"I don't know, I wasn't looking for him. Listen to me," she said grabbing her shoulders, "Haul ass away from here. I would check the orphanage in Riften if he isn't here. But more Thalmor are on their way, I can bet you that. Don't spend long in here," she repeated. Agnete turned and climbed back through the secret door and sprinted the entire way back to Riften. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agnete returns to the Guild after that day's events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr - https://brynjolfsbitch.tumblr.com/

She skipped the ladder. The loud thud her feet made as she hit the ground brought all the attention to the half naked, blood - soaked girl at the entrance.

"Mercer!" she screamed angrily. Her chest was heaving as she caught her breath from running. He slammed his ledger shut and sped - walked over to Agnete. Once he reached her, he reached out a hand to shoulder to examine her, but he soon felt her tight grip on his wrist before he was able to reach it. His eyebrows raised with a slight glint of concern in his eyes. "How could you?" she cried out. Everyone in the Guild had gathered around the scene, which made her even more uncomfortable. "How could you sell him out like that?" she yelled after Mercer didn't respond. Her teeth were clenched tightly as tears welled up in her furious eyes.

"Ag, what happened?" he finally stammered.

"Don't play daft with me!" she said throwing his arm down. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?" he yelled back equally frustrated. "What in gods' name are you talking about?"

"He's dead!" she screamed. Her voice echoed through the cistern as everyone who was gathered accepted the information. "And you gave _him_ the job - you assigned him the job that killed him! You knew they were Thalmor, didn't you?" More silence. "Didn't you?!"  

"No! I didn't know this was a set up with the Thalmor, Agnete," he said taking a deep breath and rubbing his thumb and middle finger on his forehead. "I - I'm at a loss for words." He looked back up at her stressed face. "I had no involvement in this. I got the job offer, and I gave it to him. The buyer requested him, and him alone. I don't know why, and I sure as shit didn't ask. I thought this was normal - just another regular job!"

"How can I trust you?"

"Agnete, how can you not? I've been a mentor to you for years alongside... Look, that's not the point. I know he meant a lot to you - to all of us, and this is a lot to take in still."

"How are you so fucking calm about this?"

"I'm not! This is my fucking job! I feel just as broken as you look!" he turned and pushed through the sea of members to get back to his desk. He could feel the dozens of eyes upon him, yet he knew they wouldn't last. Vex took this opportunity to run up to Agnete and figure out what she can do to help. Her body was weak and shaky from this news, but looking at Agnete, she knew she had it worse. 

"By the gods," she gasped hovering her hands over her, not sure where to start. Ag just put her hand on Vex's shoulder while keeping her eyes on Mercer.

"I know," she whispered in a shaky voice. 

"Ag! Vex! My desk, now!" Mercer yelled out. The two girls shared a teary - eyed glance and pushed through the Guild members paralyzed in shock. 

"Vex, round up a search party. I'll be sending you all to Heartwood Mill to double check for any survivors, and bring back Brynjolf's body." She gave a silent nod and immediately turned and left. "As for you Agnete, we'll be talking more once they return with his body. But now, I need all the job details."

She inhaled and swallowed deeply, feeling anxious with all the members across the way listening in. "There was a secret door, under the table. He was down there. It was so dark. I was fighting elves. Gods," she mumbled to herself cupping her face in her hands while feeling the warmth of her breath on her cheeks. "I found the door because... I heard him screaming," she said in a barely audible tone. "I just killed every Thalmor I saw. Then I found... I found him." Her breath was catching as she tried suppressing tears. 

"That's enough, thank you. Go get yourself a drink, I'll come get you when I need more info," Mercer said raising a hand. She nodded and bit her lip as she turned and walked swiftly away choking back tears. She ran into the empty Ragged Flaggon and just planted herself at the nearest chair. Her hands were lost in her hair holding her head up from dropping. She watched as tears hit the table, turning the shade of brown a little darker. Agnete looked down at her body, taking in the fact this was Brynjolf's blood all over her. It was dry at that point, but she could just still feel the heat of it when she was holding him. She stood up and walked around to the back of the bar, grabbed three Black - Briar meads, then sat back down, cracking one open. 

"Don't do that," someone spoke softly from behind her. She jumped at the sound and whipped her head around to see who it was.

"Oh, Cynric. Hi." He walked around and gently pulled the drinks from her hands and sat down in front of her. "Are you gonna go?'

"With Vex? Yeah, I am. She asked me to check up on you before we left. You know, you're welcome to com-"

"Thanks, but I really can't. I just," she inhaled, "I don't think I can go back there." Cynric nodded and stood up, still holding the bottles, and walked out. Agnete put her head on the table and shut her eyes. She must have drifted off because she was woken up to Mercer shaking her shoulders and calling her name. "Gods, what is it Mercer?" she said coming to. 

"They're back. They got his body."

"By the gods," she said in a whisper. "Where is everyone?" she asked standing up and following him into the cistern.

"If by 'everyone' you mean Vex and the gang, they're in the vault. Needed to keep this kinda low for the time being."

"I don't really see the point considering everyone knows."

"That's not what I mean," he sighed inserting his key into the vault door. He glanced over at Agnete briefly before pushing the door open. Her eyes fell to Vex and Delvin comforting each other, then to Thrynn on the floor, back pushed against the wall, taking a sip of a drink. Cynric nodded at her as he stood by Bryn's body with crossed arms. Sapphire approached them, holding something. 

"Here Ag, we found this in his cell," she said handing her her armor and blood - soaked undershirt. 

"Thanks," she whispered. She slowly walked up to his mutilated body that was laid on some barrels pushed together. Now that they were in better light, it was easier to see his injuries. She winced looking at the marks of whips and cuts from daggers and torture tools. He had faint scars on his neck, wrists, and feet that suggest he was tied up in different ways. She couldn't bear to keep looking, so she just took her free hand and gently stroked his face. She felt the little beads of salt water on her face fall onto his dead flesh.

"Did you guys have any trouble?" Mercer asked for her. 

"Just a little. We were lucky, can't say the same for poor Bryn here," Delvin spoke. This comment pushed Agnete off the edge, and her silent tears turned to more heavy sobbing. She didn't want to leave Brynjolf, but she just wanted to be alone. 

"Can I just, get a sec alone in here?" she cried out. Everyone nodded and left the room. Except for Mercer. He was leaning against the wall by the door with his arms folded. He watched her cry over his limp body, feeling a heavy sense of guilt knowing if he had agreed to send her sooner, this wouldn't have happened. He opened his mouth about to speak when he was cut off. "He was tortured."

"I see that," he muttered. She turned around with fury burning in her eyes.

"He was fucking tortured and that's all you have to say?"

"No. I know damn well this is my fault."

"Oh yeah?" she said folding her arms. "How so?"

"You accused me yourself not just two hours ago in there," he said gesturing to the door.

"I know that, but that's not what I asked," she said stepping forward. 

"Damn it, woman, I won't complain to you." Agnete shoved him into the wall he was leaning against.

"The fuck you will! You didn't hear him scream as some shit head drew the final blow! You didn't have to search where it was coming from as time was running out! You'll never know what it's like to just be five minutes short of saving his life!" she screamed. Her legs gave out and she fell to Mercer's feet, covering her face with her hands as she began to cry again. "If I was there just five minutes sooner," she muttered through spurts of gasping through tears. Mercer could have fought her. He could have given her plenty of predicaments where he was struggling for time and how he was too late. But he didn't. Instead, he crouched down to her and put his hand on her heaving shoulder. 

"Ag, I know. You know I know exactly what that's like."

"I know, it's just you'll never know it for _him."_

"I'm still to blame,"

"No!" she cried as she lifted her head up. "Don't do this! I should have been faster."

"If I turned down the job, this wouldn't be happening."

"You and I both know," she said through tears, "you never turn a job down. Even if you did they would request more and more until they got what they wanted."

"Now you're catching on," he chuckled. "C'mon. We need to get you cleaned up." The two stood up.

"What about Bryn?"

"I'll call the team back in, they can handle taking care of him. You have got to get this blood off of you, it's disgusting."

"You're disgusting," she muttered as she walked out the vault door. 

 

 

 


End file.
